Nashua couple charged in pair of Manchester robberies

MANCHESTER — A Nashua couple committed two robberies about 10 minutes apart early Saturday, netting about $550 in cash before they were arrested in Nashua, police said.

Stephen Ham, 47, and his wife, Debbra, 50, were charged with two counts of robbery each. Mr. Ham also was charged with being a fugitive from justice for a warrant out of Massachusetts on a robbery charge. They were last known living at the Motel 6 in Nashua, according to police Det. Robert Keating.

The first robbery was reported at 3:08 a.m. at the Mobil on the Run, 1019 Second St. Mr. Ham entered the store, wearing dark clothing and a dark ski mask covering his face, police said. He showed a knife and told the clerk to give him the money. He took the cash register out of the drawer and appeared to move around the corner looking for more money. He took about $200, police said.

About 10 minutes later, Mr. Ham entered the Shell station at 245 Eddy Road, and waited for a customer ahead of him to cash in a lottery ticket, Keating said. Mr. Ham showed the clerk a knife and left with the cash register unit minus the monitor, snagging about $346 in cash, authorities said.

A state trooper spotted a vehicle matching the description of the one spotted fleeing the Shell station and arrested the pair, he said.

In an unrelated robbery, two men entered the N & K Market, 374 Pearl St., around 6:40 p.m. Friday.

One man jumped the counter showing a knife. He is described as between 5-feet, 6 inches and 5-feet 8 inches tall, wearing jeans with rips in them, white sneakers, a white sleeveless shirt over a dark long-sleeved shirt, a black hat and a red bandana over his face. He also sported white batting gloves, police said.

The second man was armed with what appeared to be a crow bar. He was described as 6-feet tall, wearing a dark shirt, gray-green pants, dark sneakers, dark gloves and a black hat with yellow stripes, Keating said.